Sixteen people were feared dead Saturday after a hot air balloon caught on fire and crashed in Central Texas, officials said.

Caldwell County Sheriff Daniel Law said in a statement his office received a 911 call at 7:44 a.m. local time about a possible vehicle accident at a spot near Lockhart, Texas.

He said when emergency responders and deputies arrived on the scene it was apparent that the reported fire was the basket portion of a hot air balloon.
“The balloon was occupied and it does not appear at this time that there were any survivors of the crash,” the sheriff said. “Investigators are determining the number and the identities of victims at this time.”

The balloon was carrying 16 people, officials said.

Lynn Lunsford with the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the accident happened when the hot air balloon caught fire and crashed into a pasture.

Lunsford said that the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are going to the scene to investigate.

The land near the crash site is mostly farmland, with corn crops and grazing cattle, The Associated Press reported.

Cutting through that farmland is a row of massive, high-capacity transmission lines, and the site of the crash appears to be right below the overhead lines.

Texas Governor Greg Abbot called the crash a “heartbreaking tragedy.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, as well as the Lockhart community,” he said.

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